Firearm sight



33H25@ w GR '2 @417 u 7 l 6 SR March 18, 1947.

w. L. swARTz 2,417,716

FIREARM SIGHT Filed July 24, 1944 an scid Patented Mar. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIREARM SIGHT Application July 24, 1944, Serial No. 546,258

4 Claims. (Cl. 33-58) This invention relates to a sight for a rearm and more particularly, though not restrictively, to a rear sight for a pistol.

It is an object of the invention to provide a sight having an adjustable sighting leaf which may be variably positioned by means which are substantially shock proof, whereby any adjusted position of the sighting leaf may be maintained regardless of the jar imposed upon the sight by the functioning of the firearm or otherwise.

It is another object of the invention to provide an adjustable sight which is compact and so constructed that the sight has no objectionable projections.

It is a further object of the invention to provide guard means for the actuating member of the adjusting means, whereby the actuating member will not be accidentally moved fro-m any selected position thereof.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide compactly arranged means to maintain the actuating member of the adjustment means in any selected position.

Other objects of the invention as well as details of the foregoing objects and the details of the invention are set forth in the following speciflcation and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings show the embodiment of the invention which is deemed preferable, but it will be understood that the drawings are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a sight embodying the present invention, said sight being mounted on a rear portion of a pistol slide.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1, the sighting leaf of the sight being in non-elevated position in said view.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the sighting leaf raised to an elevated position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the base member per se of the sight construction.

Fig. 5 is a front end elevation of the base mem- [ber per se shown in Fig. 4 as viewed from the right hand side of said figure.

Fig. 6 is a composite view showing a top plan view and side elevation of a detail of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a spring comprising a detail of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a composite view showing a top plan view and side elevation of another detail of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a U-shaped member comprising the sighting leaf of the invention.

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the U-shaped member shown in Fig. 9 as viewed from the left hand end of said gure.

Fig. 11 is a composite view showing a top plan view, side elevation, and bottom plan view of the actuating member of the mechanism for elevating or lowering the sighting leaf.

Fig. 12 is another composite view showing a top plan view, side elevation, and bottom plan view of another detail of the mechanism for elevating or lowering the sighting leaf.

An adjustable sight for a firearm should preferably be shock proof, particularly when the firearm comprises an automatic pistol having a reciprocable slide to which the sight is attached. The slide of an automatic pistol is reciprocated incident to the ring thereof, the reciprocation being caused by the recoil action of the pistol. The recoil movement of the slide is very sudden and imposes considerable jar on any sight carried thereby. An adjustable sight carried on such a slide must therefore be provided with adjustment means capable of withstanding the shock imposed thereupon by the recoil movement of the slide and it must also withstand the shock imposed thereupon when the slide reaches the end of its counter-recoil movement. The sight must not only withstand the shocks referred to but it must also be provided with means capable of maintaining any adjusted position of the movable sighting leaf of the sight. Further, a rear sight for an automatic pistol should also be compact and offer no objectionable projections. The sight comprising the present invention has been developed to possess the foregoing requisites of a desirable sight.

Referring to the drawings, the rear portion of a slide I IJ of an automatic pistol is provided with a transverse channel I2 having front and rear walls which converge upward, said channel receiving a base I4 of a sight comprising the present invention. 'Ihe opposite sides of the base I4 are shaped so as to be complementary to the sides of the channel I2. The base I4 is provided with a pair of threaded apertures I6 respectively located adjacent the opposite ends of the base, said apertures each reseiving aA threaded stud or screw I8 adapted to frictionally engage the base of the channel l2 to maintain the base of the 55 sight in any desired position in said channel.

The position of the base I4 may be adjusted longitudinally of said channel in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the slide I8 to correct the sight for windage. In order that the extent of the correction of the sight for windage may be readily indicated, the base I4 is provided with a finger 20 positioned medially of the base and projecting forward therefrom. An indicating line 22 is formed on said finger. The upper surface of the slide I adjacent the channel I2 is provided with a series of indicating lines or indicia 24 for purposes of comparing the position of the line 22 therewith.

Base I4 also comprises a rearward extending shelf-like block 26 which is actually part of base I4 and may be integrally formed therewith but, if not integral therewith, then rigidly secured thereto. The rearward end of block 26 is arcuate as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Projecting substantially vertically upward therefrom is a thin wall comprising a guard 28 which is for purposes to be described.

Extending inward from opposite sides and also from the forward end of block 26 is a pair of similar` recesses 38, the innermost walls thereof being preferably arcuate as shown in Fig. 4. A flexible U-shaped 'member 32 is secured to base I4. One leg of said U-shaped member is bifurcated to provide a pair of substantially parallel ears 34 which are respectively received in the recesses 30 in the base, the fit between said ears and recesses being preferably snug. Ears 34 are preferably respectively similar in shape in plan view to recesses 30. The other or upper leg of U-shaped member 32 comprises a sighting leaf 36 and since U-shaped member 32, in the preferred embodiment, is formed 0f spring-like steel, the sighting leaf 32 may be flexed toward and away from the other leg comprising ears 34.

The direction of movement of the sighting leaf will be substantially vertical when the sight mechanism is mounted in its normal position which is that illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 representing a pistol held in a substantially vertical plane while the axis of the barrel is approximately horizontal. The rearward or free end of sighting leaf 36 is provided with an upstanding rib 38 having a sighting notch 40 formed medially thereof. In order that the present sight may be compact, the length of the sighting leaf 36 is only slightly longer than the Width of said leaf and leaf 36 comprises the longest leg of said U-shaped member 32.

The mechanism for elevating or lowering the sighting leaf 36 comprises a threaded cylindrical member 42 which is received in internally threaded aperture 44 formed in shelf-like block 26. A pair of spaced upstanding lugs 46 are formed on the upper end of cylindrical member 42 and the upper end of said member is also formed with a substantially dome-like projection 48, the latter and said lugs being for purposes to be described. The under surface of cylindrical member 42 is provided with a transverse slot 50 for purposes of accommodating a screwdriver bit during the assembly of the cylindrical member 42 with the base of the sight.

A disc-like member 52 comprises the manipulating means for the elevating mechanism of the sight. Member 52 is knurled on its outer edge to facilitate manual manipulation thereof. Said member is also provided with a pair of evenly arranged and spaced apertures 54 which receive lugs 46 on cylindrical member 42. The upper surface of member52 is provided with an integral 4 short cylindrical block 56 which is provided on its upper surface with a plurality of indicia marks 58. The under side of member 52 is provided adjacent its periphery with a plurality of evenly spaced notches 60 which are for purposes to be described.

Cylindrical block 56 projecting upward from member 52 is received in a cylindrical aperture 62 formed in sighting leaf 36 at the inner end of sighting notch 40. Extending radially outward from aperture 62 is an indicia mark 64 which cooperates with the indicia 58 on block 56. When member 52 is assembled in the sight, the central portion of the under surface thereof rides on dome-like projection 48 and member 52 may tilt a limited amount with respect to cylindrical member 42. The tilting of member 52 permits the upper surface thereof to parallelly and slidably engage at all times the under surface of sighting leaf 36, regardless of the position of the leaf with respect to the base I4 and block 26 thereof. This is clearly evident from Figs. 2 and 3.

Inasmuch as lugs 46 of cylindrical member 42 project through apertures 54 of member 52, rotation of the latter member will cause cylindrical member 42 to be either lowered or elevated with respect to block 26 of base I4, depending Yupon the direction of rotation of member 52. The engagement of the under side of the sighting leaf 36 with the upper surface of member 52 will position sighting leaf 36 in accordance with the vertical position of cylindrical member 42.

In order that member 52 may be maintained in any desired position of adjustment so as to retain the sighting leaf at a selected elevation, the base I4 is provided with a partially threaded vertical aperture 66 which threadably receives an externally threaded sleeve 68 provided with a transverse notch 10 in the lower end thereof for purposes of accommodating a screwdriver bit while sleeve 68 is being inserted in or removed from aperture 66. A conically headed pin 'I2 is slidably mounted in aperture 66 for vertical movement, the stem 'I4 of said pin being slidably `received in the interior of sleeve 68. A helical `spring 'I6 is mounted on stem 'I4 for engagement with the under side of the head of pin 'I2 and also with the upper end of sleeve 68 when the same is mounted in aperture 66. The conical head of pin 'l2 is thus normally biased for vertical movement upward.

The aperture 66 is positioned with respect to aperture 44 so that the conical head of pin 'I2 will engage one of the notches 60 formed in the under side of member 52, thus releasably maintaining member 52 in any desired position of adjustment.V The spring 'I6 is sufciently strong that the frictional engagement caused thereby between the head of pin 'I2 and any one of the notches 60 engaged thereby will prevent accidental movement of member 52 from any selected position thereof regardless of the shock imposed upon the sight as a result of the firing of the pistol or otherwise.

The intermediate portion of the leaf 36 is defined by side edges which are substantially parallel and the distance therebetween is less than the length of the rib 38 which defines the outer end of said sighting leaf. The narrow intermediate portion of said leaf is provided to expose the serrated periphery lof opposite portions of member 52. The outer edges of ears 34 comprising the other leg of U-shaped member 32 arespaced apart a distance substantially equal to the inaerien `apen termediate narrow portion of sighting leaf 36. Further, the intermediate portion of block 26 has a width narrower than the outer end thereof which is defined by guard 28, whereby clearance is afforded for the periphery of member 52.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 1, opposite portions of the serrated periphery of member 52 may be readily manually engaged for purposes of rotating said member to raise or lower the sighting notch 40 of sighting leaf 36. Member 52 also projects rearward past rib 38 of sighting leaf 36 but guard 28 on block 26 normally projects suciently above member 52 to prevent accidental engagement with said rearward projecting portion of member 52. The reduction in width of the intermediate portions of block 26 and sighting leaf 36 permit the aforementioned ready manual engagement with the periphery of member 52 without the necessity of member 52 having an objectionably large diameter, whereby the entire sight is small and compact.

Inasmuch as member 52 may tilt a, limited amount with respect to the upper end of cylindrical member 42, whereby member 52 follows the movement of sighting leaf 36 in parallelism at all times, the coengaging threads of cylindrical member 42 and aperture 44 may be substantially precise and thus insure a greater degree of accuracy to the various positions of adjustment occupied by sighting leaf 36. Indicia 58 and 64 serve to indicate the position of member 52 relative to sighting leaf 36.

The assembly of the various components of the sight is simple. Disc member 52 is first assembled between the legs of U-shaped member 32 by introducing cylindrical block 56 within aperture 62 in sighting leaf 36. Ears 34 are then respectively introduced into recesses 30 formed in block 26 of base I4. The bifurcation between ears 34 extends sufficiently into the bight portion of U-shaped member 32 to freely pass finger 20 during said assembly operation. Cylindrical member 42 is then threaded into threaded aperture 44 from the under side of block 26.

When cylindrical member 42 has been partially threaded into aperture 44, the lugs 46 on cylindrical member 42 will be received within the spaced apertures 54 of member 52. Following such reception, the member 52 will then be rotated with cylindrical member 42 until the domelike projection 48 on the latter engages the underside of member 52. This relative position of said elements is as shown in.v Fig. 2 wherein sighting leaf 36 is in its lowermost or normal position.

Pin 'I2 is then inserted in aperture 66 from the under side thereof, spring 1'6 is placed around the stem I4 of pin 12, and threaded sleeve 68 is then threaded into the correspondingly threaded lower portion of aperture 66 until the lower end of sleeve 68 is at least flush with the underside of base I4. Threaded studs I8 may be mounted within the threaded aperture I6 of the base I4 at any time during the assembly operation. This completes the assembly of all of the elements comprising the sight.

Terms used herein to indicate positions and directions such as vertical, elevate, lower and the like are to be considered when the sight and pistol are in theirnormal position as defined hereinabove.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred embodiment and has included certain details, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in other ways, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A rear sight for a firearm comprising in combination, a base constructed and arranged to be fixed to a firearm and provided with a threaded aperture, a flexible U-shaped member having one leg fixed to said base and the other leg positioned above said one leg and aperture and the free end of said other leg being movable with respect to said one leg in a substantially vertical direction when the sight is in normal position, a threaded member rotatably mounted in said threaded aperture in said base, a disc-like means tiltably and non-rotatably connected to the upper end of said threaded member and disposed adjacent the under side of said other leg, said means when rotated in one direction slidably and parallelly engaging the under side of said other leg and rotating said threaded member in the same direction in said threaded aperture to elevate said means and the free outer end of said other leg and to lower said means and said outer end when said means is rotated in the opposite direction, and a sight member carried by said other leg adjacent the free end thereof.

2. A rear sight for a firearm comprising in combination, a base constructed and arranged to be fixed to a firearm and provided with a threaded aperture, a flexible U-shaped member having one leg fixed to said base and the other leg comprising a leaf disposed above said one leg and aperture substantially horizontally and the free end of said leaf being movable with respect thereto in a substantially vertical direction when the sight is in normal position, a threaded member rotatably mounted in said threaded aperture in said base, a disc-like means positioned between the upper end of said threaded member and the under side of said leaf, connection means comprising an nterfitting pin and aperture shaped to prevent relative rotation therebetween but otherwise permit limited tilting movement therebetween, the components of said connection means being formed on said disc-like means and the upper end of said threaded member whereby said disclike means when rotated in one direction slidably and parallelly engages the under sideof said leaf and rotates said threaded member in the same direction in said threaded aperture to elevate the free outer end of said leaf and to lower said outer end when said means is rotated in the opposite direction, and a sight member carried by said leaf adjacent the free end thereof.

3. A rear sight for a firearm comprising in combination, a base constructed and arranged to be fixed to a firearm and provided with a threaded aperture, a flexible U-shaped member having one leg fixed to said base and the other leg comprising a leaf disposed above said one leg and the free end of said leaf being movable with respect thereto in a substantially vertical direction when the sight is in normal position, a threaded member rotatably mounted in said threaded aperture in said base, a serrated disclike means connected to the upper end of said threaded member and disposed adjacent the under side of said leaf, said means when rotated in one direction slidably engaging the under side of said leaf and rotating said threaded member in the same direction in said threaded aperture to elevate the free outer end of said leaf and to lower said outer end when said means is rotated in the opposite direction, a spring biased means carried by said base and operable in a direction normal to the plane of the disc-like means to engage one of the serrations of said disc-like means to maintain the same in any selected position thereof, and a sight member carried by said leaf adjacent the free end thereof.

4. A rear sight for a rearm comprising in combination, a base constructed and arranged to be fixed to a firearm and provided with a threaded aperture, a flexible U-shaped member having one leg xed to said base and the other leg comprising a leaf positioned above said one leg and aperture and the free end of said leaf being movable with respect to said one leg in a substantially vertical direction when the sight is in normal position, a threaded member rotatably mounted in said threaded aperture in said base,

a disc-like means connected to the upper end of said threaded member and disposed adjacent the under side of said leaf and also projecting beyond the rearward end thereof, said means when rotated in one direction slidably engaging the under side of said leaf and rotating said threaded member in the same direction in said threaded aperture to elevate the free outer end of said leaf and to lower said outer end when said means is rotated in the opposite direction, an arcuate guard ange carried by said base and projecting upward with its upper edge disposed adjacent said projecting portion of said disc-like means to protect the same against accidental movement thereof, and a sight member carried by said leaf adjacent the free end thereof.

' WILLIAM L. SWARTZ. 

